


Sacred Liquor

by Evil_Little_Dog



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: Community: fmagiftexchange, Drinking, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-11
Updated: 2012-12-11
Packaged: 2017-11-20 20:44:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/589448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evil_Little_Dog/pseuds/Evil_Little_Dog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary:  “Frequent drinking makes friends surrounding” – ancient <s>Chinese</s> Xingese saying.<br/>Disclaimer:  If I owned any part of this, I wouldn’t be living in Boxtown.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sacred Liquor

**Author's Note:**

> Assume Al's been in Xing for a while for this story.

“This is Maotoi,” Ling said, pouring the white liquor into the three cups. 

Edward eyed it before picking up his cup and tasting the liquid inside. “Still not as strong as the cider Pinako cooks up.” 

“Mmm, Granny’s cider.” Alphonse’s expression turned wistful. “I miss that stuff.” 

Edward nudged him with an elbow. “Even though we all got sick as dogs on it?”

“Even though,” Alphonse said, taking a sip from his own cup. “And we didn’t the last time we had it.” 

“Is this the cider that you dared each other to drink as children?” Ling asked, looking between them. 

Alphonse nodded, but lifted his forefinger, saying, “Not just us, Winry, too.”

“Oh, yeah, she was really sick.” Edward grinned toothily in remembrance. 

Rolling his eyes, Alphonse told Ling, “We all were.” He added, emphatically, “For days.” 

“Not days,” Edward scoffed.

“Days,” Alphonse assured Ling. “And afterward, none of us could stomach the smell of cider – or apples cooking. Not for a long time, at least.” 

Leaning back in the cushions, Edward thumped his head against one of them. He used his flesh foot to poke at Alphonse, who slapped it away. “You always got upset stomachs.”

“Not any more,” Ling said, grinning. “You might be surprised at the things Al eats and drinks here in Xing.” 

Alphonse slapped his shoulder. “Shut up,” he said, not even blushing. Or if he was, it could be mistaken for heat from drinking the liquor. Shooting a look at Edward, he said, “You wouldn’t believe what they pickle in alcohol here.” He shuddered, making a face. “Rat wine!” 

“Ew!” Edward stuck out his tongue, his face contorting in a grimace. 

“And worse,” Alphonse said, picking up his refilled cup and quaffing the liquor inside. “Some of it’s as bad as those things that Mr. Curtis used to make us eat!”

Ling grinned, too, topping off Edward’s cup. Of course Alphonse would head off any discussions about things he swallowed; at least, until he had a chance to tell his brother about their relationship. Sprawling back into the cushions, Ling raised his cup. “It is a saying among my people,” he said, breaking into the brothers’ discussion of nasty things they’d eaten over the years, “that ‘frequent drinking makes friends surrounding’.” 

Alphonse tapped his cup against Ling’s. “To friends surrounding.” 

Edward sat up to click his porcelain cup against Ling’s, then Alphonse’s. “Here, here.”

The rosy glow lasted until Edward burped, and Alphonse started giggling, and Ling leaned back to call out the door, “Another bottle of Maotoi, please.” The liquor would eventually shut them up, he was sure of it.


End file.
